It bears the outer appearance of a democracy. It has the Constitutional and legal framework in place by which a democracy can, theoretically, be run....providing that the corrupting influence of big money does not compromise and destroy the democratic process.

It's like one of those western town sets in the old movies...it looks real from the front, but there's nothing real behind the facade.

Sadly, mere laws and rules are not enough to protect a society in themselves. A superb constitution cannot protect a society if its spirit is not honored in practice. You also need a genuinely enlightened group of people at the top among the leaders, and you need a very well-educated and well-informed public as well...plus you need a public with high ideals and aspirations...rather than a public tuned in to mere survival coupled with self-indulgence.

These are not easy things to achieve! One would have to remake this society from the top down to restore a genuinely effective democracy and to honor the Constitution's original intent. One would have to eliminate poverty, reduce the enormous gulf between the haves and have-nots, and greatly reduce the effects of commercial advertising. One would have to provide greatly improved education and medical care to all people in the society. One would have to provide more affordable housing and more job opportunities to the unemployed.

All of the above would require bringing in various forms of socialism...a concept which has been turned into a dirty word in the USA by the oligarchs who want only to enrich themselves and maintain their monopolistic habits.

I don't expect any of this to be solved before I shuffle off this mortal coil... ;-)